Step 3: Creating Volunteer Job Descriptions

How often has a board meeting started, “The Secretary can’t make the meeting, we need someone to take notes.” These conversations often delay the start of the meeting leaving critical issues at the bottom of the agenda undiscussed. Additionally, using different notetakers can make it harder for the board to effectively lead. How can board members and the organizations they lead move past these distractions? 

Nonprofits depend on people to achieve their missions. Yet often volunteers are treated differently than paid staff. For example, when a staff member leaves, leaders examine their job description and discuss if and how it should be updated. With the new job description in hand, leaders often conduct a systematic search for someone with corresponding backgrounds and skills. Yet, board members rarely have job descriptions and the search for new members is often hurried since it only occurs once transition is imminent. How can organizations make the process of recruiting board members more strategic? 

It begins with the job description. A job description outlines what board members duties and responsibilities are as well as the experiences and skills they need to succeed. Creating it inspires a dialogue and the opportunity to evaluate what is working and what is not. Once the job description is developed, leaders can use it to recruit allowing potential board members to efficiently evaluate whether this is the right position for them. Without it, board members often voice surprise when they are asked to solicit donations or expect to be involved in day-to-day conversations instead of those around vision and organization direction. 

Once leadership develop a board job description it can be adapted for officers and other volunteers throughout the organization. How it should be structured and what should be included will be discussed in the next post.